Vegan Mofo VI- Day 21: So Where's the Lebanese Delight?*

With yet another change in weather and my current state of yuckiness, I just knew I would have to make soup this week. I already had my grocery list written up but I decided to take a quick flip through one of my recipe binders for a soup recipe that didn't require me to buy too many new items. I passed over one of my favorite lentil soup recipes because I like to only make new recipes during mofo. You never know when you might meet a new favorite, right? I chose another recipe that sounded good and added those ingredients to my list. After the first grocery trip I hadn't found anything I needed for that recipe and I was having second thoughts about it. What if I didn't like it? I would be wasting so much food. Before we hit the next store I grabbed Appetite for Reduction off my shelf and looked at those soup recipes. I was pretty sure I'd only made two of them so the rest were fair game. I quickly decided upon "Arabian Lentil & Rice Soup" since it was what I wanted and it slightly resembled the soupI would have made if not for my "rules" about repeats.

Even though there were some similar ingredients between the two recipes, I vote this one to be my new favorite forever. The other recipe is still awesome, but this one is just a teensy bit awesomer. Maybe it's the carrots, or the rice, the combo lemon zest and lemon juice. I cannot get enough of it. I had a small serving to take a photo before I walked the dog and I had some more when I came home. I would go back for thirds but I want to save some for tomorrow and the rest of the week. I really want to tell my sister how good it came out and share with her, but I am tempted to keep it to myself so I can have more awesome soup. What a dilemma!

*In the recipe intro, Isa mentions how there are so many great Lebanese restaurants in PDX, which makes me think of Mary and Mustafa in the movie Party Girl. I need a huge push to at least apply to a grad program!

Finder's Keepers

I found my copy of The Vegan Table last week, so you know I had to start cooking from it right away. Here's the backstory: I checked it out from the library last August and couldn't find it. I bought a replacement copy for the library so whenever I found "their" copy, it would be "mine". I kept thinking I left it in the extra room and tore that place apart a number of times. I looked in, under and behind my bookshelf. I even flipped up my mattresses to make sure it wasn't under my bed. Would you believe it was safely tucked in a back of Seattle souvenirs that was hanging on the back of my bedroom door this whole dang time?

We usually plan our weekly menus but sometimes we change out minds and don't end up making the food we say we will. I've had "chili dogs w/ mac and cheese" and "Waffle Wednesday" on the list for two weeks now. I knew I had to fit them in this week or we might never get to them. I picked a few new recipes I wanted to try that my niece might hopefully like as well. I have some end of week babysitting and I always struggle with what to feed her. I struck gold with the Masoor Dal from The Vegan Table. I made a batch Monday night and my niece ate most of that yesterday after school. I made more today so she can have some later in the week.

The ingredients and instructions are really simple. I don't think there are as many spices as in a more traditional recipe, but we're not experts so it's okay. Plus my niece has a really low spice tolerance so this is perfect. You can always add your own to taste.  If you time it right, you can cook the rice and lentils at the same time and serve 'em up together. I was just cooking the lentils and thought I'd eat them the next day, but I couldn't help myself and had to impatiently wait while the rice cooked. I could eat legumes/rice all day, every day if you let me, which is good since that might be all I can afford when I start my new part time job!

blame it on the rain

Our weekly forecast included three days of scattered showers, time to make soup! I've been trying to make the most of my pantry (again) so this Lemon Lentil Chickpea Soup was a perfect fit. I only had to get zucchini and onion but I decided to add some carrots as well. I'm not sure if the carrots will "go" but it was worth a try.

It started raining right when my soup came to a boil. I ran outside like a fool to get Penny and crate her in the garage. The last few times I have done this it stopped raining by the time I got her settled and came back into the house. Scattered showers are annoying but it's better than no showers at all I suppose. Let's see how many May flowers they bring. I have already noticed tons more birds and bees this year.

This was my second time making the recipe which I first found in an old issue of VegNews. It is also featured in Eat, Drink & Be Vegan by Dreena Burton. I will have to do a closer read but I think the only difference between the recipe in the magazine and the recipe in the book is the vn version calls for red onion. I could not find my copy of the magazine so I looked for it on the vn site and missed it the first time. I did find it later when I did not use as many words in the search. Maybe next I will find my magazine copy, and better yet, I will get my own copy of the book!

p.s. It is not the most photogenic soup, but it tastes lovely, I promise.

big ups to the brits

Last night I went to fresh & easy for the first time. I had heard mixed reviews of the store and I think my own review would come up somewhere in the middle, but I've only been to one location so I can't make a call quite yet. I will say for the moment their tofu price is what grabbed me. Ninety eight cents! Stater's, which is one of the cheaper mainstream markets, is at $1.49 which is ridiculous, until you go to Ralph's and it is about twenty cents more (might even be thirty). I know I am getting older when I am really excited to save fifty cents per brick, but it all adds up.

For a "regular" market they did have a lot of items I would have to make a special trip to a "health" store to buy. Of course they cost about the same as they would at a special store, but it might end up to be a bit cheaper since you are cutting out the extra store trip. We had just finished dinner before walking over so thank goodness I did not go crazy hungry shopping. I got some pre-cut apples (call me lazy!), the all-important tofu, red lentils, quinoa, frozen hash brown patties (lazy again!) and some cupcakes for my mom's. There were lots of beans/grains I wanted to get but since my cupboard is far from empty I know it can wait. I will definitely give them another try, the only bummer is the store nearest to us is closing.

high on life, low on cash-erole

edited to add "improved" picture, today i had leftover casserole and a tofurkey sammich, yum!



for tonight's dinner i made a recipe from one of the liberal vegan's vegan mofo posts, broccoli lentil casserole. last week's check was short six hours from when i was sick the week before. i also didn't do a proper grocery run this weekend so there was no menu plan or fresh produce. i definitely had to call on the pantry resources. luckily i had the presence of mind to at least get some onions and a few other staple goods on a quick trip sunday night. if you haven't already made this, you have to, now. it's super delicious and doesn't take too much work to get a healthy meal on the table. i did have to bake the casserole a bit longer but there's a good chance my oven doesn't run as hot as hers. extra cooking time aside, i think there was a little less than half a pan left after we had our fill. this will definitely get some repeats.

i also had a great score at marshall's yesterday. i got an 8" skillet, 10" skillet, an 8" spring form, a 5" serrated knife and a rasp for about $40.00. i didn't buy groceries this week so i guess it's like i spent the food money on things i need to make the food? i wish i only spent 40 on groceries, maybe i will if i keep working the pantry. after tonight i really need to get an oven thermometer already.

on my lunch break i picked up the complete vegan kitchen from the library . i hustled to and from in under a half hour, give me a few weeks and i can probably cut that down a bit since it's really only about a mile each way. i've fallen out of shape and also don't want to get too worked up when i'm still in my work clothes. but between lunchtime library runs and working/training with ms. penny i might just look pretty damn good in some sweaters when it is chilly enough to wear them.